The Fire Within
by Fantasia-the-Crazy
Summary: Munkustrap has been having temper problems. Could the cause be more severe than the Jellicles think? What will happen when the truth comes out? And will it all end in a compassionate decision, or the ultimate betrayal? **ON HIATUS; TO BE REWRITTEN**
1. The Beginning

_A/N: This chapter is really more of a prologue. Just be aware that the rest of the story takes place long after this._

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Something rustled in the dark. The large brown cat who sat secretly in wait angled his ears towards the sound, straining his night vision to see what was making the noise. After a moment of rustling, another cat, this one a red-brown, almost ginger color, emerged, holding a tiny kitten in his paws.

The first cat stood up and silently padded up to him. "Is that the one?" he whispered, gesturing towards the kitten.

"Of course it's the one!" the red-brown cat snapped. "Why else would I have come all this way with it?"

Surprised by the visitor's sudden ferocity, the patchy brown tom jumped back.

The other cat sighed. "Sorry. I'm just a little frustrated. The little scrap's been mewling the whole way here. Just take it!" He shoved the kitten forward. Startled, it looked at the russet-furred tom, then up at the first cat.

The latter slowly began to reach out. But when his paws were merely a whisker away, he hesitated. "A-are you sure about this, brother?"

The visitor looked at him. "Yes, I'm sure, Deuteronomy. One kitten is enough for me. And –" he nodded towards his tiny son – "this one wasn't really turning out the way I'd planned. Doesn't have the right stuff in him, I guess. For the last time, just take him!" He ended with a snarl.

Deuteronomy blinked and hesitated a moment longer. Then, gently, he scooped the kit out of his brother's outstretched paws. "I respect your decision," he finally said. "I will care for this kitten as if he was my own." He glanced around. "But I really should be getting back. As Jellicle Protector, this is the _last_ thing I should be doing right now. Father'll have my rear if he knew where I was! And, well . . . my mate just recently found out she's expecting kittens, and I don't like to leave her much . . ."

"Congratulations," the russet cat murmured. "I know what it's like to be a first-time father. Been there myself. But the second time . . ." he poked the kit as he trailed off. "Look, just raise him well." There was a short pause before he inquired, "Hey, have you thought about what you're going to tell the others?"

He nodded. "In the morning, I'll just tell everyone that I was patrolling the area and found him. He didn't have any scent I could recognize and it didn't seem like a trap, so I took him in out of pity. And I will raise him as my son."

"Yeah, that'll work." The russet cat smiled. "I should be going too. Guess I'll see you . . . eventually." He turned and slowly began to head out.

"Okay," Deuteronomy called after his brother. "And don't worry, I'll take excellent care of the kitten! I'll make him everything you would have wanted him to be!"

After the russet cat disappeared, he stared after him for a minute. Then he looked down at the kitten. He was a pale silver color with bold black stripes that looked as though they had been painted on with ink. Sensing the gaze upon him, the kitten looked up at Deuteronomy with innocent brown eyes. They both held each other's gaze for a long moment, and he could see the trust and hope in the kit's eyes, almost as if he knew what was going on. _My father's abandoned me_, he seemed to be saying, _and I've hardly opened my eyes! Now I'm so lost and confused . . . will you protect me?_ "Mew?" he squeaked, as if voicing his thoughts.

The big tom blinked. Behind the kit's eyes, he could see fire: burning fire, signifying a strong spirit and will to live, of ferocity and loyalty . . . but the fire had two sides. Aside from the beauty and natural draw of the heat and warmth that would provide protection, the fire was also a symbol of danger and destruction, threatening to burn and destroy anything in its path. There was more to this kitten than its innocent exterior. Underneath the loyalty and spirit, there was an ominous thirst for violence, for fighting and bloodshed . . .

Deuteronomy shook his head to clear it. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. The fire was gone, leaving behind nothing more than an innocent, abandoned kit. "Yes," he vowed softly, "I will protect you. You will grow into a fine young tom under my watch. I'll be the father you never had."


	2. Munkustrap

_A/N: A couple things I'd like to clear up: first of all, Alonzo is a son of Old Deuteronomy in this, and Jemima (even though she's not in this chapter) is the daughter of Munkustrap and Demeter. Enjoy!_

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Silhouetted against the rising sun slowly peeking above the horizon, there stood a figure. A tall, strong figure diligently and silently keeping watch over a junkyard. _His_ junkyard.

Munkustrap, the protector of the Jellicle tribe, quietly surveyed the landscape around him. He had lived in this junkyard his entire life – at least, as long as he could remember. And some day, he was going to rule it, just like his father, Old Deuteronomy, his grandfather, and all his great-grandfathers before him. It was in his blood.

"Aaagh! What the –" yelled a voice, shattering the tranquility. From the sound of it, a cat had just been pounced upon.

The victim wrenched his head around to see his attacker: a black tom with a wild mane and leopard spots on his chest and paws. "Tugger!" the victim growled.

Tugger chuckled. "Boy, you should've seen the look on your fa–" he was cut off as the other cat surged up and pinned him to the ground. "Alonzo, get your dirty paws off me!" He batted at the black and white tom.

He jumped off as Tugger stood up. "Who are _you_ calling dirty, playboy?"

A warning growl rumbled in Tugger's throat as he let his claws slide out.

Alonzo screamed.

Tugger gave a little leap forward, causing Alonzo to turn and flee. He chuckled. "Whatcha runnin' from, Lonzy?" With a friendly – yet intimidating – snarl, he streaked after him.

And so a round-the-junkyard chase ensued, both toms nimbly weaving under, over, and in-between obstacles. "This'll teach you to call me 'playboy'!" Tugger threatened.

Alonzo shot a quick glance over his shoulder. "You just don't want to admit it's true! Come on! You know I'm right!"

Tugger growled ferociously and picked up the pace.

Alonzo followed suit, determined to stay ahead of Tugger. Unfortunately, he was too focused on running that he failed to see Munkustrap, who stood staring off into the distance, fantasizing about the day he would rule the junkyard. He slammed into him, feeling Tugger slam into _him_ from behind.

Munkustrap let out a screech as something crashed into him, snapping him out of his daydream and bowling him over. Immediately, he leapt up, brushing the dust off his tabby pelt before glaring down at his attackers. He recognized them as his two younger brothers. "Tugger! Alonzo!" he scolded. "What do you think you're doing?"

They looked at each other. "Um, having fun?" Alonzo ventured.

Munkustrap glared at him. "What's your game called, 'Attack the Jellicle Protector'?"

"Jeez, Munk," Tugger snorted, "didn't you see us coming?"

"What's more important is, why didn't you see me standing there?"

"Oh, sorry." Alonzo was clearly trying not to laugh. "Did we catch you in the middle of thinking about your_ destiny_ again?" Something about the tone of his voice told Munkustrap that his brother didn't quite understand the importance of being Jellicle Protector.

"Seriously, bro," Tugger pitched in, "lighten up a little! You gotta try to enjoy yourself every once in a while!"

The tabby snarled at the young toms. "Oh, shut up, both of you! You two low-life idiots wouldn't know destiny if it bit you in the a–"

"Munky?" interrupted a quiet female voice.

"Hi, Demmy!" He immediately put on a grin, trying to act as if nothing had happened as his gold and black mate emerged. Quickly turning to his brothers, he snarled in an ominous undertone, "Listen up. If either of you steps out of line _ever_ again . . ." here he held out a paw and allowed a set of very sharp, scary looking claws to slide out. "Now do us all a favor and leave." And those were his last words before he, once again, faced his mate.

She walked up to him and, purring softly, rubbed her cheek against his.

Munkustrap could hear muted snickering. Obviously, Alonzo and Tugger were still there. He shot them a quick look that said, "Scram!" before finally focusing all his attention on Demeter. He had been awfully short-tempered with his brothers recently, though he had no idea why. It was beginning to seem like everything they did made him want to blow up. And with each passing day, it was only getting worse. He had never uttered a curse in his life; and yet, if Demeter hadn't come along when she had . . .

He sighed. He knew little brothers could be annoying. As he was a full-grown, mature adult and they were scarcely out of adolescence, still struggling with all the responsibilities that came with adulthood, he also knew he really shouldn't be that hard on them. They were just being tomcats, and there wasn't anything wrong with that.

Or maybe . . . was part of the problem _him_? Was he too strict? Should he lighten up, like they said? It was almost as if he had no idea how to have fun. He felt like such an outcast sometimes.

"Munky? Munkustrap? What's wrong, hon?" Demeter's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You sighed."

"Er . . . I guess I did. It's, um, it-it's nothing. Really."

He felt her paw squeeze his. She knew something was troubling him.

He looked at her, and his brown eyes met her concerned blue ones. She blinked tenderly.

"Well," he finally gave in, "it's just that . . . do you think I'm too strict?"

Demeter's tail found his. They twined together as she consoled him, "I love you just the way you are."

Munkustrap couldn't help but crack a smile at that, but he persisted: "Do you think I'm too strict on _others_? I mean, I nearly clawed the noses off Alonzo and Tugger back there when they were just trying to have a good time."

Demeter paused.

"They told me I should lighten up. Do you think that's true? Are they right? Am I just a boring, lifeless work-a-holic who never tries to have fun? Honestly, Demmy, I feel so out of place sometimes. Sometimes I just feel like . . . like I don't belong here."

"What? Munky, don't be ridiculous."

"Well, think about it. Have you ever known me to do something completely spontaneous and reckless? I think I take things way too seriously."

"Now you're just not thinking straight. Listen. You've been up all night and that's probably just made you feel a little crabby. It happens to all of us. And besides, you should know that younger siblings aren't always easy to deal with. Take Bombalurina, for example. She's always telling me about her 'wonderful night out' with the toms. According to her, having a wild late-night party is loads of fun. I just think it's stupid. I remember one time, she came back from her night out long after midnight, and she slept through the whole next day. Sure, the experience itself might be fun, but what about the aftereffects? Look, the point I'm trying to make is, little siblings can make you feel, well, a little 'out of it' sometimes. But the best thing to do is ignore it, and be happy with who you are."

He stared at her for a long moment. "I guess you're right," he finally granted. As he began to pad away with Demeter at his side, a quiet voice sounded inside his head. _But why don't I feel convinced?_


	3. Gossip

_A/N: Sorry for the absence! Just started school and have been absolutely bombarded with homework. Will try to update quicker next time!_

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"Stupid big brother," Alonzo grumbled, kicking a nearby rock.

"He's got no life," agreed Tugger, who walked alongside him.

"I know! He doesn't know how to have fun!" the black and white tom griped. "He takes his job as Jellicle Protector _way_ too seriously."

"Yeah. And not only that –"

"Oh? What have we here?" interrupted a new voice. "Alonzo? Rum Tum Tugger?" It was their father, Old Deuteronomy. "In a sour mood, I take it. What would be the cause?"

"Father," Alonzo began, trying to keep the snarl out of his voice, "_your_ eldest son –"

"Your older brother," Old Deuteronomy corrected.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Anyway, whoever he is, the black and white tabby bas– um, tomcat –" he caught and corrected himself just in time – "well, he drove us away for no reason!"

The Jellicle Leader blinked. "Oh, really?"

Tugger took over the story. "You see, 'Lonzo and I were just kind of playing around, and I started chasing him, and we sort of didn't see Munkustrap standing there, and we ran into him a little."

"Actually, we knocked him over," Alonzo threw in.

Tugger shot him a glare before continuing. "Ah heh, well anyway, he got up and he started getting real angry and made us go away. It's like, he's so absorbed with being protector that he takes everything way too seriously and he never tries to have a good time."

"And that's the angriest we've ever seen him," Alonzo added. "If Demeter hadn't come along, he probably would've ripped our throats out!"

"Now now, don't exaggerate," Old Deuteronomy told him.

"I don't know if I am! He actually looked scary! Have you ever _seen_ those claws of his up close?"

"I can't say I have, but that's beside the –"

"Believe me, you don't want to!"

"I think I'm haunted forever now," Tugger put in.

"Hey, did you see the look in his eyes?" Alonzo asked. "Now _that's_ haunting."

"No, I was too busy not believing those claws."

"Both of you, knock it off!"

Immediately, both toms fell silent.

Their father stared at them for a moment before he spoke. "Now, I suggest that you give it a little time. Maybe Munkustrap will sort things out on his own. If things aren't better in two weeks, come find me again and I'll see what I can do about it. But for now, just give him a little space."

Not feeling satisfied at all, Alonzo and Tugger turned to stalk away.

"That was a waste of time," Tugger spat.

"Oh, and one more thing," came Old Deuteronomy's voice again.

They stopped and turned back around.

"Alonzo, I'm going to have to punish you for not being more careful about your language."

The black and white tom's mouth fell open in disbelief. "But I didn't even say –"

"I want you to go help Jennyanydots look after the kittens. You can leave at dusk, or until I decide it's been long enough."

"But . . ."

"I'm letting you off easy," the great brown cat warned. "If you want it to stay that way, then go. Now." Trusting his son's better judgment, he turned and left without another word.

Alonzo whirled around. "Dammit!" he hissed.

Tugger padded up next to him. "Ha! Smooth move, bro!" he teased.

"Look, just 'cause the kittens always follow _you_ around –"

"Have fun, Lonz!" Tugger turned and trotted off in the opposite direction without giving Alonzo a chance to finish his sentence, leaving him to stalk grudgingly away, muttering under his breath.

Ahead of him loomed a large, square shape. It was the old oven that served as a nursery: that was where the kittens were taken care of. Taking a deep breath, Alonzo proceeded inside.

"Hi, Alonzo!" Jemima greeted him instantly.

Unfortunately, this managed to capture the rest of the kittens' attention. They each exchanged a glance, then jumped on him, knocking him to the ground.

Caught completely off-guard, he feebly tried to fend them off. "Electra, you're standing on my tail! Aagh! Etcetera, put your claws away! Pouncival, get your paw out of my eye! Ow! Tumblebrutus, would you quit –"

"KITTENS!" Jennyanydots's authoritative command rang out, echoing off the sides of the oven. Immediately, they all scrambled off of him.

"Thank you." She turned to Alonzo, who was shakily trying to pick himself up. "Now then, Alonzo, I assume there's a reason you're here?"

"Erm, well, I . . ." he stammered, not wanting to embarrass himself. He decided that at this point, the truth was best. "I cussed in front of my father, and this is my punishment."

"Really?" Pouncival piped up. "What'd you say?"

Jenny gave him a look before addressing Alonzo. "I see. Well, extra help is always appreciated, you know. How long will you be here?"

"He said till dusk," Alonzo mumbled.

"Ah. Right then. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable."

With a sigh, he sunk down as the kittens crowded around him.

"What _did_ you say?" Pouncival whispered.

"Actually, nothing. I started to say something, but I caught myself, and now I'm getting punished for it anyway." Seeing the tan and white kitten open his mouth, he added, "And no, I'm not going to tell you what I almost said."

Pouncival closed his mouth again, his lower lip sliding out as his face fell into a pout.

Brushing past the other kittens, Jemima padded forward and sat down next to the black and white tom. "Pouncey, don't bother him!" she scolded. She then turned to Alonzo. "Don't worry," she promised, "we'll be extra good for you."

He looked down at her and smiled as she stretched up and rubbed against his shoulder. Ignoring the little giggles and whispers from the others, he gently placed his arm around her waist.

* * * * *

The day didn't turn out to be as bad as Alonzo had thought. True to Jemima's word, the kittens were all surprisingly well-behaved in his presence. Noticing this, Jennyanydots asked if he would like to volunteer there more often, at which point he politely refused. Even when she left the oven for a short while, they continued to be good. When this did happen, however, Mistoffelees crept in, obviously not expecting there to be an adult around. Victoria got up and padded over to him. He greeted her with a purr, but gave a start when he saw Alonzo.

"Um . . ." he mumbled awkwardly as Victoria nuzzled him.

Realizing their intentions, Alonzo sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't mind me," he told them. "I can guarantee you won't be doing anything that I haven't seen Tugger do a million times." He lowered his voice as he added, "Or, at least, that I haven't heard described to me by Tugger in great detail a million times." He shuddered.

Mistoffelees gave a self-conscious nod, not looking convinced.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Etcetera asked innocently. "And what's Tugger got to do with it?"

Alonzo shook his head. "Nothing. Never mind. You'll learn when you're older."

"How much older?" Etcetera persisted.

"It's something you can only find out once you've had 'your' Ball."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence. But then the cream-colored kitten whimpered. "Now I wanna go see Tugger."

Alonzo smacked his forehead with a paw.

Electra rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't?"

Etcetera giggled in agreement.

So, the kittens went about their ways, ignoring – or simply oblivious to the presence of – Victoria and Mistoffelees, who were doing their own thing in a far corner of the oven.

Alonzo stared at the young white queen for a moment. _Shouldn't she really not be considered a kitten anymore?_ he thought. Victoria had already "lost her innocence" at the previous Jellicle Ball, and that was usually synonymous with coming into adolescence. And it wasn't that difficult to see that she and Misto were getting pretty cozy.

"Hello?" A voice brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Munkustrap peeking in.

From her position next to him, Jemima jumped up and scampered over to him. "Daddy!"

"Hi, Jem." The tabby hugged the young calico – his daughter. Then he noticed his brother. "Why, hello, Alonzo, what brings you here?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know," he answered bitterly.

For a moment, Munkustrap looked surprised at his brother's hostility. But then he commented, "Oh, there's a story here, I can tell. And I'm guessing I'm invol– Misto! What are you _doing_ to that poor kitten?"

Alonzo turned to look at the tuxedo tom, who was attempting to get into a posture with Victoria that he had seen all too many times performed by Tugger, but he immediately took a couple of deliberate steps away from her. "Erm, nothing." His face was beginning to turn crimson.

"Well, must you do it _here_?" Munkustrap didn't sound shocked or scandalized; just annoyed. That was fair, Alonzo decided. After all, he was Tugger's brother too.

Misto seemed to shrink under his accusing stare. He looked from Munkustrap to Alonzo to Victoria, then vanished in a puff of smoke.

There was a moment's silence before Alonzo turned back to Munkustrap. "Well, I'm sure you remember this morning, when you so _rudely_ drove Tugger and I away."

The smile fell from Munkustrap's face. "I remember."

"Father found us griping and asked us what happened, so I tried to explain, but . . . well . . ." he glanced at the kittens around him, then leaned in close and began whispering in Munkustrap's ear. The whispering continued for about half the story, at which point he paused.

The fur along the tabby's spine began to bristle. "You called me a _what_?"

"No no no!" Alonzo protested out loud. "See, I _almost_ called you that! I started to say it, but I caught myself and said 'tomcat' instead, and Father punished me anyway! He told me to come here and help Jenny look after the kittens."

For a few heartbeats, neither of them said anything. Alonzo was debating whether or not to run for it when Munkustrap sighed. "It's not all your fault. I really acted terrible back there. I have no idea what came over me."

Alonzo blinked, but then gave him an understanding look. "It's okay." He looked down as something brushed against his arm and gave a gentle grin as he recognized Jemima. He placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a tender squeeze. She giggled.

Munkustrap, however, didn't take it so lightly. Within three seconds his facial expression had changed from forgiving to furious. His fur fluffed out to twice his normal size. Looking like the very embodiment of evil, he roared, "DON'T YOU TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!" and, claws unsheathed, struck Alonzo across the face.


	4. Explanation

_A/N: Sorry if the ending is a little weird. Just a crazy idea I had._

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Being caught in the middle of a playfight he could handle. Being called a rude name he could handle. But watching someone cuddle with his daughter was more than he could take.

Feeling as if he was being controlled by a different brain, Munkustrap watched himself strike Alonzo, his own brother, in a rush of pure fury, almost unaware of what his own paws were doing.

And then Jemima screamed as only a terrorized kitten could.

In that moment, everything happened at once. Alonzo hit the ground and in a flash, Munkustrap came to his senses. He looked down and saw scarlet drops of blood glistening on his claws. At the same time, Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks came bursting into the oven with Jellylorum behind them and what looked like the entire Jellicle tribe behind her.

"What in the Heaviside Layer happened here?" Jennyanydots demanded.

"Aye, we heard the wee lass scream!" Skimbleshanks gestured towards Jemima.

"_He_ happened!" Jemima accused, pointing directly at her father, still looking dismayed.

Munkustrap's jaw dropped as he felt every eye rest on him. He couldn't move; he was absolutely mortified.

"Great Everlasting Cat, Munkustrap!" exclaimed Jellylorum. "Is that _blood_ on your claws?"

With a gulp, he quickly retracted them as surprised murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Just then, two cats shoved their way in at the same time: Tugger and Demeter.

Upon seeing his brother lying on the ground, blood trickling from numerous gashes on the right side of his face, Tugger snarled, "What the hell did you do? Is he dead?"

"Language check! There are kittens listening!" scolded Jellylorum as she stooped down to examine him.

Demeter had gone pale as a sheet. "Oh, Munkustrap," she murmured as she padded over to him, her pelt brushing his. "What have you done?"

"Alonzo? Alonzo, wake up!" Jemima's panicked mew sounded as she crouched down next to him, her tiny paws on his shoulder, trying to shake him awake. Her face streaked with tears, she looked up at the older queen. "Oh, Jelly, is . . . is he . . ."

Jellylorum shook her head. "No, he's alive." Uncertainty clouded her gaze as she added, "But he's unconscious and I'm afraid he may go into shock."

Jemima gasped, fresh tears welling up in her eyes.

"Now, don't fret, dearie, we'll take good care of him. You should go back to your parents for now." She nodded at Munkustrap and Demeter.

The tiny queen-kit slowly turned to look at them, staring at her father in absolute horror.

"Good going!" Demeter hissed harshly. "Your own daughter's afraid of you!"

At that, Munkustrap felt a sudden pang of regret. He met Jemima's gaze, and as she flinched away from him, he did the same inwardly. _I'm becoming a monster_, he thought to himself. _How could I let this happen? I've let the whole tribe down. My own daughter lives in fear of me now, for felinity's sake! What kind of image does that create? It says I'm a heartless scoundrel who doesn't care about the welfare of his family or his tribe, that's what. And if they can't trust me, who _can_ they trust?_

He watched Demeter pad over to Jemima, arms extended. The kitten ran to her mother in tears. Holding her tightly and securely, Demeter slowly eased both of them back to Munkustrap, murmuring, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you."

Munkustrap reached out with a paw in an attempt to comfort his daughter, but she quickly shied away, trembling. The look in her eyes was almost too much for him to bear.

Suddenly, a booming voice resonated through the entire junkyard. "What is going on here?"

The crowd parted to reveal Old Deuteronomy. He lumbered forward, his eyes immediately falling on Alonzo. "Who did this?" he demanded.

Once again, everyone turned to look at Munkustrap. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, trying to find words to defend himself as his father stared at him in complete and utter disbelief. The resulting silence was almost unbearably awkward.

"I think you've got some explaining to do," the wise old leader finally said coldly. Normally, Old Deuteronomy was friendly and open, at peace with the world, but when he was upset, it was always a good idea to do whatever he wanted. "Come out here where it's less crowded."

Munkustrap followed his father out of the oven with Demeter behind him, who was still holding the frightened Jemima tight. The attention of every Jellicle focused on him, he drew in a deep breath and began.

"It all started early this morning, when I was up keeping watch. I had been up all night and, naturally, was looking forward to getting some sleep. Now, meanwhile, Alonzo and Tugger were having a little playfight, and I understand that. But apparently, this playfight turned into a chase. Alonzo wasn't looking where he was going and ran into me, Tugger ran into him, and I fell over.

"Now, needless to say, I was pretty annoyed at them for that, but here's the weird part: instead of just telling them to go away, I started to get sort of angry at them and began to tell them off. I – I'm afraid I might have even hurt them if Demeter hadn't come along just in time."

Demeter's jaw dropped.

"Anyway, Demeter and I got to talking about, well, whether or not I was too strict, and if I needed to lighten up." Here he caught a sideways glance from Tugger. "She told me I was just tired, and that I was perfectly fine the way I was, and then we took a short walk together before I came back to get some sleep.

"Now, from what I understand, Alonzo and Tugger reported me to Old Deuteronomy. Alonzo got a little carried away and almost called me a . . . well, something not very nice. Because of this, my father sent him to help watch over the kittens as punishment.

"And then, just a few minutes ago, I dropped by to visit Jemima." Once again, he felt a sharp stab of regret that such an innocent task had resulted in such a drastic outcome. "Imagine my surprise when I found Alonzo there. He doesn't visit the kittens very often, so I asked him what brought him there. He seemed pretty angry with me, and as he told me the story from _his_ viewpoint, I understood why."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mistoffelees let out a breath, obviously relieved that Munkustrap hadn't mentioned the _other_ visitor he'd found in the oven.

"Since I was feeling pretty badly for being more or less solely responsible for getting him in trouble, I told him it was okay and I apologized for my behavior earlier. So we were good again for about ten seconds, until I saw Jemima – _my_ daughter – snuggle right up to him. And he was clearly enjoying it."

There was a note of bitterness in his voice, and Jemima took notice, narrowing her eyes as if protesting that they weren't doing anything wrong.

"Now, even if I were thinking straight, this would've surprised me, because Jemmy's only a kitten, but . . . well, all you fathers out there, surely you understand what I'm getting at. You know what it's like to feel obligated to take care of your kittens, queens especially." Here he stared directly at Jemima, hoping she would get his message. His voice faltering and growing softer with every sentence, he gently assuaged, "You want nothing more than to protect them and keep them safe above all else. You love them so much that you're never willing to let them go, never wanting them to grow up, ever. You want to keep them by your side forever, making sure they're always happy, and know that they love you, too. And you're willing to do _anything_ to enforce that."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, they stared at each other in silence, and in that moment, she didn't seem scared anymore. Then, slowly, uncertainly, she wriggled out of Demeter's grasp and began to creep towards him. He gave her his most apologetic smile, and before he knew it, she was charging up to him and threw her arms around him. Several cats murmured, "Awww."

Munkustrap bent down to give his daughter a proper hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never meant to hurt you or scare you."

"It's okay," she whispered back. "I forgive you. I love you, Daddy."

Rising back up to his full height, Munkustrap continued his story, his voice once again clear and strong. "It is because I feel this way that I did what I did. I honestly have no idea what came over me. All I know is that I was angrier than I've ever been in my life. My claws came out, I told him not to touch her, and . . . and . . ." He trailed off and stared remorsefully at his unconscious brother. "I had no idea I'd strike him hard enough to knock him out. I – I must confess, for a moment I felt just like . . ." the last word came out as a whisper. "Macavity." How he knew what Macavity would have felt like in that situation, however, he had no idea.

The whole junkyard was contained in deadly silence as the entire story sunk in. Half the cats jumped in surprise when someone called, "Look! Everyone! Look, he's getting up!"

Simultaneously, all the heads turned to see Alonzo slowly and shakily pushing himself up onto all fours, then proceeding to rise up on two legs. His eyes were half-closed and looking quite dull, and the gashes on his face were beginning to look terrible.

"Alonzo!" Jemima cried. She suddenly surged out of Munkustrap's grasp and ran towards her friend. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

His eyes opened a little wider and shone a little brighter as he smiled down at her, resting a paw on her back.

Munkustrap stared at him. A low growl began to rumble in his throat and his fur began to bristle, but he hadn't taken one step before Skimbleshanks, Asparagus, Mungojerrie, Plato, and Tugger all leaped on him from behind at the same time, sending him crashing to the ground on his stomach and pinning him down.

Suddenly, Alonzo's paw went up to his right cheek, where he had been struck. He drew it back down and looked at it and, upon seeing his own still-wet blood, gave a yelp, his eyes opening the rest of the way. Letting go of Jemima, he pelted over to the old car and stared at his reflection in one of the windows. "My face!" he wailed. "My beautiful face!" He half-ran, half-stumbled back over to the assembled cats, looking panicked. "What happened? Who did this? Why is everyone staring at me? Wh–" he looked down at the immobilized Munkustrap and broke off mid-word as realization flared in his sky-blue eyes, which immediately narrowed to slits.

Munkustrap felt his blood turn to water.

"You," Alonzo hissed. "_You_ did this to me!"

"Well, yes," he squeaked. "It just – you see, I – I just didn't like you getting so close to Jemim–"

"Didn't like me getting so close, eh?" His younger brother cut him off, his voice level nearing a shout. "Well, I got news for you, brother. I'll get as close as I like!" And with that, he scooped up Jemima in one arm and landed a kiss right on her lips.


	5. Fire

_A/N: I know this chapter took a while. It's all because of school, trust me. At least this is a nice, long chapter just for you. Enjoy!_

_*Sigh*____Poor Misto, I'm so mean to him . . ._

* * * * * * * * * *

Munkustrap struggled to lift his head away from the ground, allowing his mouth to fall open. Standing not far away, the same expression was duplicated on Demeter's face. Each cat stood absolutely speechless, eyes glued to the spectacle just outside the oven. The odd part, however, was that Munkustrap didn't feel angry at all – just shocked.

After a moment that could have lasted forever, Alonzo finally released the tiny calico, setting her back on the ground. Her eyes looking glassy and a huge smile plastered across her face, Jemima began skipping around in circles, giggling. She skipped over next to Demeter and twirled a few times before falling on her back in a dead faint. Alonzo was watching her, arms folded across his chest, looking rather pleased with himself.

Munkustrap felt one of the weights on his back lift, and Tugger padded up to the black and white tom. "You creep," he growled. "She's just a kitten."

Alonzo's head snapped around, suddenly turning on the large maned tom. "Well! Look who's talking!" he shot back.

Although she probably didn't understand the context, it was now that Etcetera chose to pipe up. "Hi, Tugger!" she giggled, trotting out of the oven on all fours and rubbing up against his leg.

Alonzo shot him a smug glance as he hurriedly tried to shoo the kitten away. "So, you were saying . . .?"

"Shut your face," Tugger hissed. "Darn it, Etcy, not now!"

"Why not?" she asked, cocking her head curiously to one side.

"Because you're not helping anything!"

Finally, the kitten stepped away, but her eyes grew big and round. "Y-you mean you don't . . . want me around?" She sniffled. "You don't . . . _like_ me?"

Tugger buried his face in his paws with an exasperated groan.

Alonzo sighed and looked away. "Ah, well, it's not like I'd care. I never gave a crap about your personal life anyway."

"That mouth of yours, young tom, is exactly why you got yourself into this whole situation!" Old Deuteronomy reminded him harshly.

" 'CRAP' ISN'T A BAD WORD!" Alonzo thundered.

"It's not?" asked Pouncival.

"Yes, it is!" Jennyanydots told him, shooting a glare at the black and white tom. "Get back in the oven!"

Pouncival blinked. "But Alonzo just said it wasn't!"

"Oven. NOW." Jenny pointed to it, and gave the tan and white kitten a small shove. "Now look what you've done!" she accused Alonzo as Pouncival retreated.

"They were all bound to learn that some day," he pointed out simply.

"But this is way too early!" she argued.

Alonzo snorted. "Do you have any idea of some of the things I was saying by the time I was his age?"

"No, what _were_ you saying?" Old Deuteronomy butted in, brow furrowed.

"That was brilliant," Tugger muttered.

"You know what?" Alonzo hissed at him.

"Whoa, hold on! Everybody calm down!" Munkustrap was beginning to feel as if he'd been forgotten. He attempted to push himself up as he continued, "Now, if I may offer a sugges–"

He was cut off as one of his attackers grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back. His upper body thudded back down.

"Let me go!" he ordered through clenched teeth. "I'm not going to hurt him!"

After a moment of hesitation, all of the weight released from his back. As he stood up, Munkustrap noticed the previously-cocky Alonzo back away slightly, looking a little frightened. The four remaining cats who had attacked the tabby were poised and alert in case he made any sudden moves.

His gaze swept across all the cats. "First of all," he began, "my deepest apologies go to Alonzo. I've made my point clear, and he has done the same. Although –" he glanced at the still-swooned Jemima – "I don't think he really had to go to such drastic measures. Anyway, I suggest that now we all go about our separate ways and forget any of this ever happened." He looked at Old Deuteronomy, who gave a slight nod of approval. "Alonzo," he finished, "you are dismissed from your punishment."

As the cats melted away, Alonzo grumbled, "Finally, you're putting your authority to good use."

Munkustrap felt the fur prickle along his spine, but a paw on his shoulder held him back. He turned to see Demeter, who gave him a gentle smile. He smiled back and watched as she delicately picked up Jemima, cradling her in her arms. In her ear, she whispered, "We don't care what Alonzo does to you; you'll always be our innocent little angel." She kissed the kitten's forehead and set her down on a pile of bedding inside the oven, instructing the other kittens not to bother her. In a corner, Etcetera sat sullenly moping, causing most of the kittens' attention to be focused on her anyway. Demeter then left the oven, took Munkustrap's paw in her own, and led him back to their den.

* * * * *

The next day, Alonzo looked absolutely ghastly. The blood on his face had dried and crusted over, and his right eye had swollen completely shut. Whenever Munkustrap came into his sight, he whimpered and flinched away. He was receiving an incredible amount of attention from nearly everybody.

Around mid-afternoon, Demeter had gone to visit Jemima – she said that, even though their daughter had forgiven him, she thought it would be a good idea for Munkustrap to keep his distance for a while. She'd been gone for quite a long time, however, and Munkustrap was getting impatient. He decided to try to find her.

"Demmy?" he called, crawling out of their den. "Demeter?"

No answer.

He scanned the junkyard. Before long, a black and white shape on the opposite side of the clearing caught his attention. "Hey! Alonzo!" he shouted, cupping both hands around his mouth.

At the sound of his name being called, the shape turned around, giving a little start as he recognized his brother. Timidly, he slunk forward. "Y-yes, Munkustrap?" he asked once he was close enough.

"Go find Demeter," Munkustrap ordered.

"Wh– me? B-but can't you find her yourse–"

He broke off as Munkustrap held up a paw, the back of it facing the injured tom, who looked at it confusedly.

The tabby allowed his claws to slide out, a mere inch from Alonzo's face.

His one eye opening wide, he scrambled away with a little yelp, looking for the gold and black queen.

Putting his claws back away, Munkustrap chuckled to himself. "Sucker."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" sounded a voice. "That's not right!"

He looked around, searching for the source.

"You can't just threaten your own brother into doing whatever you want!" it came again.

Munkustrap looked down. Mistoffelees was standing in front of him. "Oh. It's you. What do you want, pipsqueak?"

"Didn't you hear me? You're using Alonzo's weakness to your advantage!" The tuxedo tom was obviously choosing to ignore the stature remark.

The tabby folded his arms across his chest. "And?"

" 'And'?" Mistoffelees repeated incredulously. "What do you mean, 'and'? Cats don't do that to each other! How do you justify yourself?"

He shrugged. "I get my mate. Alonzo gets to live. Everyone's happy."

Misto's mouth fell open. "I can't believe you! You're absolutely refusing to see the light here! I'm reporting you to Old Deuteronomy." He whirled around.

"I don't think so."

Misto looked over his shoulder. "Oh, really?" He turned fully back around to face him.

"Really. Remember, I saw you with Victoria."

If it was possible for a completely white face to turn pale, Misto's did in that exact moment. "But . . . I . . . but . . . but . . ."

"Look. I'll make a deal with you. You don't tell my father what I did, and I won't tell anyone what you did. 'Kay?"

"But . . ."

"If you'd kept your butt to yourself, you wouldn't be in this predicament," Munkustrap pointed out, grinning devilishly at his own pun. "Now, do we have a deal?"

There was a moment of silence before Misto quickly nodded. "Deal," he squeaked.

"Good. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

He turned and fled, too intimidated to remember that he could have just disappeared.

"Munkustrap! What was _that_ all about?" came Demeter's shocked voice.

"Hi, honey!" he greeted instead of answering, as he turned and padded up to her.

"You threaten Alonzo and _blackmail_ Mistoffelees just so you can –"

He slid an arm around her waist and silenced her with a kiss.

She quickly pulled away. "If you think that's gonna make me forget, buster . . ."

"Who cares? Worth a try." He gave her a seductive grin and began to lean towards her again, but she thwarted his plan by slapping him across the face.

Letting go of her, he stumbled backwards, rubbing his cheek. "Ouch! Dammit!"

A loud gasp from Demeter's direction caused him to look up. Her ice-blue eyes were stretched wide as she stared at him. "What . . . did . . . you . . . just . . . say?" She couldn't raise her voice above a husky whisper.

"I . . . I said –" he broke off as he realized what she meant, at which point he slapped a paw over his mouth. "Oh my Everlasting Cat, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, honest! I-it just kind of slipped out . . ." he trailed off, staring into space.

Demeter studied him for a long moment before quietly suggesting, "I think you should see Coricopat and Tantomile."

* * * * *

Minutes later, an anxious silver shape stood at the entrance to a large den on the far side of the junkyard. White sheets were draped over the entryway, forming a screen. Munkustrap was about to draw in a breath to announce his arrival when two voices chorused, "Come in" at the same time.

Munkustrap blinked, but he proceeded to brush past the sheets into a dimly-lit, well-furnished living quarters that smelled of herbs and spices. It had a completely different feel than the rest of the junkyard: instead of the normal energetic, friendly, positively charged atmosphere he was used to, it felt strange – mystical and unfamiliar; yet it was oddly welcoming and cozy at the same time. On a large red and purple rug in the middle of this den, two identical cats sat facing each other with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. "Welcome, Munkustrap," they said in unison without looking up.

"Erm . . . th-thank you," the tabby stammered.

Slowly, the twins opened their eyes and turned to face him. "You are nervous," Tantomile observed.

"Well . . . just a little," he admitted. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing here. You see, I came here because –"

"Demeter told you to come," Coricopat interrupted, finishing his sentence for him. "We know."

"We see everything, Munkustrap," Tantomile reminded him calmly.

He nodded awkwardly. "So . . . I've been taking advantage of Alonzo and Misto, and I tried to do the same with Demeter . . . what should I do?"

The twins, who had not left the rug, both gestured to the spot next to them. "Come and sit," Tantomile instructed him, "and tell us what's been going on from _your_ point of view."

Relieved that there was finally someone willing to hear him out, Munkustrap padded forward and sat on the rug alongside the mystical cats. They both stared at him calmly.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out again. "I guess there's not really much to say," he confided. "It's just that lately, I've been having these sudden random . . . outbursts of fury, like I want to blow up at the simplest little things. Things that have absolutely no reason to annoy me, but lately have just . . . ugh. And it's only getting worse and worse as time goes on. Every time, I do something more terrible. I mean, have you _seen_ Alonzo? But anyway, the weird part here is that it isn't consistent; it just comes and goes in sudden bursts. I'm psycho one moment and the next I'm not. For example, I knocked out Alonzo without thinking twice when I saw Jemima cozying up to him, but I didn't even think about showing my claws when he –" he nearly choked on the words – "kissed her. See what I mean? It doesn't make any sense! And I have no idea what's causing it! I'm so confused and I hardly know what to think!" he sighed in an attempt to calm himself down. "I guess that's why I'm here; is there something you can do to help me get my life sorted out? Anything?"

Coricopat and Tantomile looked at each other and nodded. They both adjusted their positions until they were sitting side by side in front of him. He shrunk back visibly, not knowing what it was they intended to do.

"This won't hurt," Tantomile assured him. "We are just going to give you a reading. A reading of your innermost thoughts, your memories, your emotions that you have kept long hidden . . ."

" . . . Delving deep into your long-forgotten past," Coricopat finished, "in hopes that it will give us some answers." He took hold of Munkustrap's paws while Tantomile placed her fingertips lightly on the tabby's forehead. Both of them closed their eyes, and all at once the whole den was consumed in silence.

It was more than just slightly awkward to Munkustrap, knowing that at that moment both cats were able to see everything that was going on and had ever gone on in his head. And the complete silence wasn't helping at all. What were they viewing now? The time he had accidentally tripped over Pouncival? The time when he had told Demeter he wanted to have kittens? He strained every muscle in his body to keep from shuddering. After a few more minutes, for a fleeting moment, he considered throwing in a sudden, violent thought just to see what would happen, but he resisted the urge. He sighed inwardly. _Where was all that self-control this morning, or yesterday? Why wasn't it there when I really needed it?_

A few more minutes passed. There had been absolutely no action from the twins, no acknowledgement that anything was going on. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Tantomile broke the silence. "Fire," she whispered. Raising her voice, she opened her eyes and withdrew her paws, Coricopat doing the same. "You are fire, Munkustrap!"

"Er . . ." That wasn't the conclusion he had been expecting. "Is that good?"

"Well," Coricopat answered, "in many ways, yes. Fire is a source of heat and warmth, and provides a gentle light as well as a sense of comfort. It offers safety and protection to those who tend it, and, if properly cared for, can be a very useful aide in many situations. To some, it holds a natural allure and irresistibility. When tamed, it is often a beautiful, welcoming sight."

"But," Tantomile suddenly pitched in, "fire has two personalities. It holds more than simple grace and elegance. If left untamed and unguarded, it will soon spread out of control, mercilessly burning and destroying everything in its path, at which point it becomes a thankless danger. And with no one to stop it, it will only continue to spread, leaving behind only ashen ruins of what was once there."

Finally, Munkustrap began to see their point. "So . . . if I'm this big dangerous fire, then why haven't I burned down the entire junkyard?"

"In order to be properly maintained," Tantomile continued, "and kept under proper control, a fire needs to be tamed and domesticated. And to be tamed and domesticated, it needs gentle, tender care and compassion. Tell me, when you were knocked over by your brothers, who stopped you from hurting them?"

"Uhh . . . Demeter . . .?"

"That's right!" Coricopat assented, as if Munkustrap had tapped into a huge universal secret. "And when you knocked out Alonzo, who brought you to your senses?"

"Jemima."

"And who told you to come see us?" Tantomile persisted.

"That . . . that was . . . Demeter too . . ." he trailed off as he realized what they were getting at. "So you're saying the cats I love are what's stopping me from . . ."

Both twins nodded.

There was a moment of silence. "But-but that doesn't explain anything!" he protested. "_Why_ am I fire? _Why_ am I having these outbursts? Why is it _me_? How can I stop it?"

Coricopat and Tantomile exchanged a glance. They had found the answer, but they thought it best that he didn't find out – at least, not yet. "_That_," the male counterpart informed him, "is for you to find out alone."

"Goodbye, Munkustrap," they both said.

And so, feeling thoroughly dissatisfied and almost unbearably unsettled, Munkustrap exited with even more questions than he had come in with.


	6. Suspicions

_A/N: I haven't died, I promise! My very deepest apologies to everyone for not updating in . . . *counts on fingers* three months. It just gets kind of tough what with juggling school and homework and all of the bajillion extracurricular clubs I'm in (not to mention midterms, which I really should be studying for right now) – and to add on to that I have another big fanfic up and running, and am planning an assortment of more. And this is kinda a short chapter, sorry! Enjoy anyway, and I WILL update sooner next time!_

* * * * * * * * * *

" . . . And then they told me that I was this fire," Munkustrap explained to Demeter. He was reporting the results of his reading to her, in hopes that she would have some more helpful answers. "They said that I was a great source of warmth and protection, and have a natural sort of attractiveness."

"You _do_ have a natural attractiveness," Demeter broke in. She brushed her cheek against his and squeezed him with the arm that was resting around his waist.

He grinned and squeezed back, but the grin quickly faded as he continued. "But they also said I have this nasty side, and in short, if I'm not tamed, I'll burn down the junkyard."

Demeter was silent at that, unsure of what to say.

"And _then_ they said that . . . that I need love to be 'tamed', and that you and Jemima are where that love is coming from."

The gold-and-ebony queen looked at him, and at the same time he looked at her, meeting her eyes. "_We _are what's keeping you sane?" she practically whispered.

"Apparently," he grunted. He blinked, suddenly concerned. "You do know I love you, don't you?" His eyes looked deep into hers.

For a moment, however, she hesitated, looking away. She seemed to be trying to decide whether or not to tell him something; soundless words danced on her lips. She suddenly shook her head and looked at him again, but she had a look in her eyes that wasn't there before. When she spoke, her voice sounded more teasing than anything else, and she scooted closer to him. "Of course I do! Do you know that I love you too?"

Ignoring the look, he purred for an answer. Before he could communicate his unresolved confusion, he found that there was something warm and soft pressing against his lips, muting him. He realized that Demeter was showing him that she understood and kissed back, glad for the temporary distraction.

"Eww!" It was the voice of a kitten. Both of them quickly broke off and found their daughter standing in the den entrance, looking at them in disgust.

_Glad to see Alonzo didn't leave any impression on her_, Munkustrap thought half-sarcastically.

"Jemima, sweetie," Demeter said in her most motherly voice, sounding as sweet as she could, "what do we always tell you about coming into our den?"

"To always ask if I can come in first," Jemima answered innocently.

Demeter and Munkustrap exchanged a glance. "Well, what's so important?" the former inquired. Munkustrap noticed that she sounded a little annoyed, which was unusual when she was talking to Jemima.

"I wanna see Daddy!" the dark calico queen-kit proclaimed, obviously not picking up on the strange note in her mother's voice.

Munkustrap smiled, though he was mildly surprised that she seemed to have forgiven and forgotten everything already. He looked at Demeter.

"Well, come on in, Jemmy," she invited, sounding a little surprised herself.

Jemima skipped over to Munkustrap and hugged him gently. "Why didn't you visit me today, Daddy?"

He grinned at her hug, and made a little pantomime of gasping for breath. "You're getting strong," he told her playfully to cover up his hesitation – he was trying to formulate an answer to the question that she would understand. "Because Mummy told me not to" was what he finally decided upon.

Jemima looked at Demeter curiously, tipping her head to one side.

"Daddy's been a bad kitty," Demeter clarified. But it seemed to Munkustrap that her statement was directed more towards _him_. And was there a hint of a playful growl in her voice? He arched one eyebrow quizzically.

Catching the glance, she pulled what appeared to be a mild "oops" face.

Munkustrap shrugged it off, turning his attention back to his kitten. "I'll come and visit tomorrow, okay, Jemmy?"

"Okay!" She grinned happily before heading back out, her tail held high. "Bye Daddy! Bye Mummy!"

Once she was gone, Munkustrap turned to Demeter, putting on a look that said he wanted some answers. "You've been acting very strange since I got back," he observed. " 'Bad kitty'?"

Demeter looked away, much in the same manner as she had when he asked if she knew he loved her.

"You had a funny look in your eyes when you said that," he continued. What was really getting to him, however, was the fact that he knew that look. He recognized it. And he knew it wasn't a look she got regularly; in fact, he could only recall seeing it a couple times before. But _why_ did he remember that so strongly? At this point he was almost afraid to guess.

Demeter studied the ground for a while before drawing in a breath and slowly letting it out. "Munky . . ."

He gazed at her patiently. "Yes?"

A few more moments passed. " . . . Nothing, never mind," Demeter finally adjudicated.

He looked at her contemplatively, but decided not to press it any more. "I'm going outside," he told her. "See you later." He headed for the entrance, but before he could crawl out, his mate's voice interrupted him. "Munky?"

He turned around.

She was silent for one more moment. But then: "I love you."

He blinked. "I love you too." With that, he exited the den, blinking and yawning into the daylight. Casting a look around, he found his eyes drawn to Alonzo. Each time he saw the injury he had inflicted upon his younger brother, he felt more and more like slapping himself. Just then, however, Tugger snuck up behind Alonzo on his injured side and tapped him on the shoulder. Munkustrap was unable to keep from laughing as the splotched tom started, springing half his height in the air. Upon landing, he began scolding Tugger, yelling at him about not sneaking up on his "bad side". Grinning, Tugger ducked down and scrambled around to Alonzo's injured side again, but the latter whirled on him and Munkustrap caught the words, "I knew you were there that time, moron."

Tugger just ignored him and darted back around again, adamantly attempting to take his brother by surprise once more. Subsequently, Alonzo ended up chasing him in circles.

Munkustrap watched them in faint amusement. But as he did, his attention was averted to the striking resemblance between the two. Not resemblance in fur color, of course, but the resemblance in structure. Both Alonzo and Tugger had rather powerful builds, their musculature apparent under their pelts. As they ran in circles, Munkustrap couldn't help but notice how incredibly similarly their muscles flexed and bunched in such a smooth, coordinated manner. At a glance (and fur patterns aside), one could easily determine that the two were kin.

He blinked and looked down, surveying his own build. The tabby fit more into the "tall and thin" category; some would say "lean" or "lanky". He extended one arm and flexed, and took a moment to feel his bicep. Munkustrap was certainly a strong tom – there was no question as to that. But unlike his brothers, he didn't come across as broad and powerful at first glance.

"Uhh . . . Munk?"

He started and looked up, snapped out of his thinking. Alonzo and Tugger seemed to have tired of running in circles and were now looking at him rather oddly.

"What are you doing?" Alonzo poked the muscle with a claw.

Munkustrap jerked his arm away and relaxed it. "Can't a tom work his muscles without the whole junkyard watching?" he growled.

His brothers looked at each other. For the first time he noticed the similarity in their facial structures. "Well sor-_ry_," grumbled Tugger, who then turned to the splotched tom. "C'mon, Lonz. Let's get back to having a _life_." Alonzo at his side, he whipped around and stalked back over to the other side of the clearing a little more pointedly than was really necessary.

Munkustrap watched them. He then buried his face in his paws with an exasperated groan. _I wasn't even away from Demeter for five minutes! I'm becoming so depraved, a real creep! What's wrong with me?_ He sighed. But then his head jerked up as he realized what he had inner-monologued. _Depraved?_


	7. Coming Storm

_A/N: Okay, okay, so there was a little bit of a wait for this chapter. But at least it was quicker than last time! ^^_

_I've been getting some guesses as to what's going on . . ._

* * * * * * * * * *

He needed a distraction; of that much he was certain. But where to seek it was far beyond him at this point. All he knew was that going to his brothers for help wasn't a favorable option. So, this left him wandering around the junkyard aimlessly, looking for something, _anything_, to get his mind off of his "fire".

"Then Genghis gave the signal to his fierce Mongolian horde." Munkustrap's ears perked and angled towards the voice. Gus, seated upon his old paint can, was telling the story of Growltiger to the kittens. "With a frightful burst of fireworks the Siamese they swarmed aboard!" He noticed that Jemima was there, her large eyes twinkling as she listened intently. He padded over to the elderly tom and his audience, thinking that listening in on the story would provide a nice, light diversion from his troubles.

"Abandoning their sampans, their pullaways and junks, they battened down the hatches on the crew within their bunks!" He glanced up. "Hello, Munkustrap, how are you this morning?"

The kittens all looked up too. "Hi, Daddy!" Jemima chirped, grinning and waving at him. "Wanna listen to the story with us?"

Munkustrap nodded at Gus in greeting before addressing his daughter. "Sure, Jemmy, I can spare a few minutes." Secretly, however, he was immensely relieved that she had invited him. He remained standing behind the cluster of kittens as Gus continued.

"Then Griddlebone, she gave a _screech_ –" he cracked his voice, causing the kittens to giggle – "for she was badly skeered. I'm sorry to admit it, but she quickly disappeared. She probably escaped with ease, I'm sure she was not drowned, but a serried ring of flashing steel Growltiger did surround."

Pouncival raised a paw. "How did Growltiger surround all those Siamese by himself?" he blurted out.

Jemima rolled her eyes and elbowed him gently. "He didn't. That means that the Siamese surrounded Growltiger with their swords and stuff, silly."

" 'Toasting forks and cruel carving knives'," Tumblebrutus corrected.

Pouncival shook his head fervently. "No, it goes 'a sorry ring of flashing steel Growltiger did surround'. It means Growltiger surrounded it."

Jemima sighed. "The word is 'serried', and it's just put like that so it rhymes with 'drowned'."

Munkustrap gazed at her, tipping his head the slightest bit to one side. Had she always been that smart?

Gus nodded and smiled, though Pouncival didn't look convinced. The elder went on: "The ruthless foe pressed forward, in stubborn rank on rank. Growltiger to his vast surprise was forced to walk the plank. He who a hundred victims had driven to that trop, at the end of all his crimes was forced to go –"

"Ker-flip, ker-flop!" the kittens all finished in unison, and they collapsed into a fit of giggles. Munkustrap smiled at their energy and cheerfulness, though it was a rather interesting concept to him how they could still manage to find such enthrallment in a story they had heard countless dozens of times before.

"Tell us it again, Grampa!" Etcetera requested. "Pleeease?"

Gus chuckled. "I think it's time you young'uns heard something else." He thought for a moment. "Did I ever tell you the story about Old Deuteronomy and the strange kitten?"

There was silence as they all exchanged an intrigued glance. The sound of the story piqued Munkustrap's curiosity as well, for he couldn't recall ever hearing that one either.

"Well then," Gus murmured, "I might just have to."

The kittens leaned forward expectantly and Munkustrap shifted into a more comfortable position.

"It was late one night many years ago," the story began. "Long before any of you whipper-snappers can remember. I must have been around your age, I suppose." Here he indicated Munkustrap. "Old Deuteronomy wasn't the leader yet; in fact, at the time he was the Jellicle Protector –" he looked at Jemima – "just like your daddy, and _his_ father – your great-grandfather, he would've been, Jemmy – was the leader. Because Old Deuteronomy wasn't the leader, back then he was just Deuteronomy."

Jemima cocked her head. "So when Daddy becomes the leader, will his name be Old Munkustrap?"

They all turned around to look at the tabby, who responded with a nod. "Yes, it probably will." But to him, the name sounded a bit strange, as if it hadn't originally been intended to have "Old" put in front of it.

"Anyway," Gus went on, "one dark night Deuteronomy left the junkyard, but he was being verrry suspicious about something." He stressed the word _very_ for emphasis. "He said he was just going out for a late-night patrol to make sure there was no trouble, but there was something strange going on, we could tell. Besides that, the previous day he had learned that his mate was expecting their first litter." Munkustrap noticed that he had said "litter" instead of referring to a singular kitten, but he shrugged it off, finding the story rather interesting.

"And when that happens, a tom usually doesn't like to leave his mate. Deuteronomy was gone for an unusually long time, and everyone was getting worried. But then, suddenly, he came back . . . and he had a kit."

Gus's audience looked at each other, whispering amongst themselves at the new information.

"Looked to be about two months old, the little scrap did, and obviously didn't have a clue what was going on. Deuteronomy said he'd found him outside the junkyard, as if abandoned by his parents. The kitten didn't have any scent he could recognize, so he took him in."

Munkustrap blinked. If this strange kitten had been about two months old when the "first litter" was conceived, that would make it approximately four months older than the litter. Icy claws gripped him inwardly as a gnawing suspicion formed in his head: _he_ was older than Alonzo and Tugger by about four months . . .

"What did the kitten look like?" Electra piped up.

Munkustrap felt his heart rate increase slightly.

Gus, however, just closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm afraid my memory fails me here," he murmured. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

The silver tom flicked his tail in mild annoyance, but deep down, something told him he didn't really want to know the truth.

"What happened to him?" the little tortoiseshell persisted.

Gus shook his head again. "I don't remember that either. He might have died, he might have run off . . ." he looked at the kittens and smiled as he finished in a whisper, "or he might even still be with us today."

"Kittens!" came the voice of Jenny. Munkustrap, who had been leaning forward intently without even realizing it, jumped at the sudden interruption.

"It's time to come in! It looks like it's going to rain!"

Munkustrap glanced up, and realized she was right. The sky was gray and cloudy, and the wind carried the damp, humid smell of rain. There was also a sort of tension crackling in the air, as if there was a storm coming too.

The kittens all got to their paws to return to the oven, bidding Gus goodbye and thanking him for the stories. As Jemima passed Munkustrap, she mewed, "Bye, Daddy!" and hugged him sweetly. She then followed her friends, calling over her shoulder, "Don't forget to visit me tomorrow!"

He just nodded once, his head now swimming with questions about the story of the "strange kitten". Was it possible that _he_ – no, it couldn't be. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head to rid it of the undesirable notion. He had been born to Old Deuteronomy just the same as Alonzo and Tugger had; in fact, he was Old Deuteronomy's eldest son. His father had told him so. The statements in the story must have been pure coincidences.

"Something troubling you, Munkustrap?"

He turned around. Gus, still seated on the paint can, blinked at him curiously.

He cast his eyes towards the ground awkwardly. "Oh, it's nothing, really, it's just –" he looked Gus right in the eye. "_Do _you remember who the kitten was? You can tell me."

But the old cat just gazed back at him, his countenance betraying nothing. "Do you not trust me to tell the truth, young tom?"

He looked away. "No, I just –"

"I said I didn't remember," Gus cut in, his voice patient but firm, "and I still don't remember. Good day, Munkustrap."

The tabby sighed and began to stalk away. He clearly wasn't going to get any more information out of the elder. But unbeknownst to him, Gus was watching him walk away. Once he was out of earshot, the veteran Theatre Cat murmured to himself, "All that experience from my old acting days sure does pay off sometimes . . ."

Munkustrap paused and looked around, his eyes falling on his father's den. Once again, questions began flooding his head. What secrets could his father be hiding from him? Was he really his father at all? Did he really even want to know? He swallowed hard and padded towards Old Deuteronomy's den.

"Father?" he called once he arrived at the entrance.

"Munkustrap," the wise old voice responded.

He poked his head inside. The Jellicle Leader gazed at him as if he had known he was coming. He drew in a breath and let it out again before finally beginning: "Father, am I . . ."

Old Deuteronomy blinked patiently.

"Am I really your son?" He braced himself for an interrogation as to why he would ask such a thing, but the big brown tom didn't seem surprised by the query at all. Munkustrap wondered if that should be disconcerting to him.

"Of course you are," he answered simply.

Munkustrap nodded slowly. "Okay . . . j-just making sure . . . thanks . . ." He withdrew his head from the den and stood absolutely still for a moment, trying to let everything sink in. With a sigh, he slowly shook his head and trudged back to his own den, feeling the little _plop_s on his fur as the first raindrops began to fall . . .


	8. Double Take

_A/N: *Deep breath* Okay . . . I am so so so so SOOO sorry for having neglected to update for three months . . . AGAIN. I really lost track of time towards the end of the school year and was busy with, well, EVERYTHING. But now that it's summer the next update should come MUCH quicker. I apologize again, guys! Thanks for remaining my faithful readers!_

_In this chapter, for some of you things will finally start making sense. For others, it will only create more questions. In either case, enjoy!_

-x-X-x-

Munkustrap slipped back into his den; a faint roll of thunder seemed to growl at him. Demeter glanced up at the arrival and quickly – almost nervously – drew her paw away from where it had been resting on her belly. It happened so quickly, however, that the tabby wasn't certain he had seen it. Shrugging it off, he crouched on all fours and shook out his silver-and-black pelt like a Pollicle Dog.

Demeter shied away from the spray. Sitting back on his haunches, Munkustrap shot her an apologetic glance as he began licking the remaining raindrops out of his fur.

He could feel his mate's soft blue gaze upon him. He paused in his licking and looked back at her. "What?"

"It seems like something's bothering you," she mewed quietly.

He glanced around awkwardly. "Well . . ." Should he tell her? About the story, about his creeping suspicions? Fears, even?

"Well?" She scooted towards him.

Munkustrap studied her while she moved. There was something . . . vaguely different about her, but, much like her "look", he couldn't quite place what it was. It was beginning to aggravate him, but as Demeter pressed herself against him affectionately, he remembered the subject at hand.

"Gus was telling the kittens a new story," he began slowly.

"And you decided to listen?" she guessed, resting her head on his shoulder as more thunder rumbled outside.

"Well . . . yes." He shrugged the opposite shoulder. "It sounded interesting. Anyway, the story was about one time when my father brought a strange kitten into the junkyard . . ." There was an awkward pause, the silence broken only by the falling rain. Lightning flashed, illuminating the now-darkened den. "Demmy, he made it sound almost like . . . like the kitten was . . ." He was almost afraid to say it.

"Was what?" Demeter pressed quietly.

Munkustrap sighed and responded very softly, "Like it was m–"

Suddenly, a violent roll of thunder crashed through the junkyard, cutting him off. He felt Demeter stiffen beside him at the noise. Casting a glance at her, his night vision revealed that she was sitting erect, her eyes stretched wide and her ears pricked and pointed towards the den entrance. Without any warning at all, the gold-and-ebony queen sprang to her paws and bolted outside into the pouring rain. Within a few moments she dashed back in, her fur plastered to her body and her eyes alight with terror. Her soaking figure revealed that there was definitely something different about her, but Munkustrap had no time to think about it before her piercing shriek split the air.

"MACAVITY!"

Munkustrap winced, for not only had she screamed right in his ear, but her reentrance had also sent a large spray of water into the den. A small hiss escaped him, but he poked his head outside and scanned the perimeter of the clearing. Seeing nothing, he turned to Demeter and ordered, "Stay here." He then proceeded to exit, his drying fur slicking down again almost immediately and sticking to his sides. He sighed in annoyance, but then focused on locating his depraved foe.

Thunder boomed overhead again, and when it died away, there was the distinct sound of demonic laughter. The tabby's eyes widened and his claws unsheathed as he whipped around to see a tall, thin, poorly groomed silhouette approaching him. The silhouette's fur had been mostly slicked to its sides as well, but all of the oils that had built up in his ginger coat due to neglect made it semi-impervious to the rain.

"Macavity," he hissed.

The Hidden Paw chuckled. "The one and only." As if on cue, lightning flashed as he spoke.

Munkustrap's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" he growled.

Macavity blinked. "After all this time, do you really still have to ask?" There was a condescending tone to his voice.

The tabby didn't respond, his tail flicking from side to side defensively.

"You should know by now," Macavity continued, "that I only want what I deserve."

"You deserve nothing," Munkustrap hissed, thunder seeming to echo him.

"Every cat has a right to something," the ginger tom countered, his peripheral vision catching the gold-and-black shape that trembled behind the den entrance. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Munkustrap knew at once what he was referring to. Macavity had been hellbent on claiming Demeter for his own ever since the Jellicle Ball where it had been announced that she and Munkustrap were to become mates. The Hidden Paw had been lurking in the shadows during the delivery of the news; once the new couple was introduced, his unnatural, almost intuitive hatred for the tabby induced him to spring out of his concealment and attempt to kidnap Demeter. It had been a known fact that Macavity had long wanted one of the Jellicle queens for himself, but no one had ever know which one. Until then. Several toms, Munkustrap in the lead, had attacked Macavity instantly, but the Monster, at a speed rivaling that of lightning, grabbed Demeter and performed his infamous vanishing act, sending both of them back to his lair. A search party was sent out to find Macavity's lair, but by the time it was discovered, it was revealed that he had raped her. It appeared s though she had put up a good fight, judging by the numerous fresh scratches around his face and groin area, but obviously not good enough. Demeter had later claimed that he was "unstoppable". Enraged, Munkustrap had leapt on Macavity, the two of them literally going at each other's throats in what had seemed like an endless battle. Finally, Munkustrap managed to land a powerful blow on the back of Macavity's neck, stunning him. This allowed just enough time for the party to take back Demeter, who had been scrunched up and trembling in a corner, and escape back to the junkyard. Luckily, no kittens were conceived, but she was let scarred, haunted, and paranoid, and it had taken Munkustrap a long time to coax her into believing that he wasn't going to hurt her before Jemima was conceived. Macavity had been determined to take her back ever since.

The memory of the sabotaged Ball embedded in his mind, Munkustrap narrowed his eyes even more, to where they were just brown slits. "You are _not_ going to lay a single claw on _my_ mate."

"I'm not?" Neither the larger tom's face nor his voice tone betrayed any emotion whatsoever.

Munkustrap studied him carefully, his patience wearing thin. "Whatever crap you're tying to pull on me, it won't work!" he told him harshly through clenched teeth. More lightning crackled, illuminating the image of the two toms.

But Macavity just chuckled again. "Learned some new words, have we, Stripes?" The ginger tom would be one of the first cats to know how careful Munkustrap was about his language, for if there was any cat who rubbed the tabby's fur the wrong way, it was him.

"What's it to you?" Munkustrap shot back, a sudden snarl in his voice. His claws itched to lash out at the Monster.

Macavity took a step back, putting on a false shocked expression. "My my _my_," he murmured, "what has gotten _into_ you?"

The tabby took a corresponding step forward. "Leave," he ordered. "Now."

Macavity crossed his arms over his chest, giving Munkustrap a good view of his long, deadly claws. "No," he answered snidely, thunder booming in the background.

A low, warning growl rumbled in Munkustrap's throat; he kept his eyes narrowed.

The ginger tom sighed, rolling his eerie yellow eyes. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose I _could_ be persuaded to leave if you agree to a few . . . conditions of mine . . ."

-x-X-x-

Demeter, hidden in the den entrance, gazed out at the arguing toms. She looked at Munkustrap. He had seemed rather suspicious of her; had he guessed? She gently rubbed her belly, turning her gaze momentarily to the small bulge developing in it. Perhaps she should have told him sooner, she thought with a quiet sigh. But now was obviously not the right moment. Her gentle blue eyes flicked back up to Munkustrap and Macavity. Though she was trying not to look at the Monster, as more lightning lit up the sky, she couldn't help but notice something: the two toms looked alike. The rain plastering their fur to their bodies provided a good, unobstructed view of their framework and musculature. Both were rather tall and thin, with hard, compact muscles. They both had broad shoulders and chests, with three rows of well-defined abdominals each. Even their facial structures held a striking resemblance; the only really noticeable difference was that Macavity's eyes were more sunken in than Munkustrap's. If Demeter hadn't known better, she would have assumed that the two were kin.

The gold-and-ebony queen turned her attention back to the argument. She cringed, knowing they were arguing about _her_. An involuntary shudder traveled down her spine as she remembered the fateful Ball. The Monster had robbed her of her innocence and changed her life forever . . . and she knew he would do it again in a heartbeat. She was truly terrified of the ginger tom. Focusing her attention back on Munkustrap, she couldn't help but smile. She always felt safe around him, even with his recent mood swings. It was comforting to know that the strong, brave, loyal Jellicle Protector would always be there for her, even in the worst of Macavity scares. Wouldn't he?

-x-X-x-

Munkustrap stood glaring hostilely as Macavity listed his "conditions", stopping him every few moments to argue a point. Rain still poured down on them, with a periodical bolt of lightning and a corresponding crack of thunder interrupting every so often.

"Then it's decided," Macavity finally declared. "In three days, we fight. One on one." Thunder rumbled as he vocalized the word _fight_.

Defiance shone in Munkustrap's eyes. "We fight with tooth and claw," he specified. "No magic. There's no room for dirty fighting in this tribe."

Macavity smirked. "No dirty fighting in a junkyard. If you insist."

The tabby uttered a low growl.

"Okay, okay, I get it," the ginger tom murmured. The casual, nonchalant tone in his voice was frustrating Munkustrap incredibly and, he knew it. "I'm not wanted here." There was a hard, sinister glare in his eyes as he spoke. "You want me to leave you and your precious mate alone." But then his eyes narrowed to yellow slits. He pushed his face close to Munkustrap's as he prepared to say something else, making the tabby involuntarily back up. Just then, lightning crackled, illuminating Macavity's startlingly patterned face. Subsequently, Munkustrap instinctively jumped at the frightening sight. Due to the rain, the ground was becoming quite slippery, and the tabby lost his balance and fell backwards into a mud puddle, staining the fur on his back, legs, paws, forearms, and tail brown.

"You bastard!" Munkustrap hissed through clenched teeth, thunder rolling through the air as he voiced the insult. Without any further warning, he sprang at Macavity with his claws extended.

But Macavity was ready. He stuck one paw out in front of him, looking bored, and suddenly Munkustrap stopped midair, as if he had slammed into an invisible wall. He fell to the ground, landing back in the puddle with a considerably sized splash. Realizing that he had been blocked by a forcefield, he glared up at the ginger tom mutinously.

Macavity released the forcefield, meeting Munkustrap's gaze calmly, yet at the same time silently daring the tabby to jump at him again. "Don't get too ahead of yourself," he warned. "If I win in three days' time, you'll lose more than just your pretty little dame." With those ominous parting words, the Napoleon of Crime gave a quick flourish of his paws as another crack lightning flashed overhead. And just like that, Macavity wasn't there.


	9. Cat and Mouse

_A/N: *Hasn't updated since June* I know, I made you guys a promise that this wouldn't happen again. And I'm afraid that this time, I have no excuse but my own laziness. Lately I've been pretty busy with lots of things (and I mean LOTS), but I'll admit that there was plenty of time this summer for me to get this done. My faithful readers, I love you all! Thanks for your understanding and patience. _

-x-X-x-

The moment Macavity was gone, Demeter rushed out of the den and hurried over to her mate. "Munky! Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Munkustrap grumbled, crawling out of the mud puddle and eyeing his soaking fur in disgust. He lifted a mud-drenched forepaw and hesitantly licked it, immediately spitting a runny glob of mud back out. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he expressed his distaste.

Demeter sighed. "Let the rain wash it off," she suggested gently.

The tabby stood up, stepping away from the puddle. His tail hung down limply behind him, weighted down with water and sopping mud.

Alonzo came running up. The swelling around his eye had died down ever so slightly, but a whisker-thin blue slit was all that could be seen of the harlequin tom's iris. "That was a close one, huh?" he commented, examining his brother's brown-stained fur.

"A lot of help _you_ were," Munkustrap spat, turning a glare on him.

Alonzo wilted. "Well, sorry," he mumbled. "I would've come in if he attacked you or something."

Munkustrap raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Hm. I'm sure."

The younger tom flattened his ears defensively. "But . . . what was I supposed to _do_?" he pointed out. "Stand there and watch you two argue?"

The tabby opened his mouth to let out a sharp retort, but Demeter quickly padded up to him. "Munky, please," she mewed. "Calm down."

He glanced at her, then at Alonzo, then at her again. He sighed half-irritably. Flicking one ear dismissively, he turned his back on his brother and began rubbing his paws together under the rain to wash off the mud.

After a moment, Alonzo's timid voice came again: "So, uh . . . what'd he say?"

Without turning around, Munkustrap replied with a growl carried on his voice, "Fight in three days." He shot a glance back at the other tom as he added, "One on one." Sensing the unspoken question Alonzo was about to ask, he threw in, "So you can go off and do whatever the hell you want."

"Munky . . ." Demeter gently chided, putting a paw on his shoulder.

By now, the silver tom's paws and forearms were clean, and the mud on his legs and tail had thinned to the point where the ink-colored tabby stripes were once again visible. Deciding that this was good enough, he shot a glance at his mate as he turned to the black-and-white tom and half-growled, "You can go." He watched as Alonzo scrambled away with a cold look in his eyes.

Gently rubbing his shoulders in attempt to calm him, Demeter stretched upward slightly to kiss him on the cheek. "Let's get you back inside," she suggested softly.

Munkustrap sighed. "All right . . ." he conceded, turning back towards their den. He cast one final wary glance around the clearing before following his mate and slipping back inside.

Demeter quickly busied herself with licking the rainwater out of her fur. Glancing at Munkustrap, she gently inquired, "What was it you wanted to tell me before . . ." She trailed off.

Munkustrap blinked. He had almost forgotten . . . and Macavity's threat had only added yet another unwanted burden to his mind. "I . . . well . . . never mind," he mumbled, deciding not to complicate things any more. He gazed at Demeter contemplatively, turning over her strange behavior from earlier that day in his mind. "Was there something you wanted to tell _me_?"

-x-X-x-

The golden queen froze. He _had_ noticed . . . perhaps she _should_ tell him now. In his current calm state, he seemed ready to handle the news; and besides, she asked herself, what was the point of putting it off if he was already suspicious? He was going to find out eventually, one way or another. Glancing around nervously, she drew in a breath, praying that the right words would come to her . . .

But she suddenly stopped herself a heartbeat before it came tumbling out. She _knew_ there was something her mate wasn't telling her. It was obvious that the tabby had a lot on his mind; his behavior provided enough proof of that by itself. And if one thing was certain, it was that this news wasn't something to be taken lightly. She didn't want to worry him any more than he already was. The words were washed from her mouth with empty air as she exhaled. "No, nothing."

Her ears drooped slightly as he gave her a skeptical look; it felt as though a kind of indecisive compunction was wriggling around in her belly. After a long moment, however, her mate simply shrugged and focused on drying his fur.

Demeter gazed at him wordlessly, trying to look inconspicuous as a paw came to rest on her stomach again. There would be time to tell him, she assured herself. Not now, but there would definitely be time.

Shaking out a few remaining raindrops from his pelt, Munkustrap scooted over next to her. The look in his eyes told her that he knew something was going on; yet at the same time his expression clearly said that he wasn't going to pressure her. He leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. The two mates remained like that for a few moments; when they broke off, the tabby gazed into her eyes, brown to blue. "Demmy," he addressed her gently, "you know you can tell me anything. I love you . . . and if I can promise you anything, it's that that won't ever change."

Guilt clawed at the golden queen's heart, but she willed it away as she forced herself to hold his gaze. "I love you too," she replied quietly. "And . . . I know that I can trust _you_ to tell me anything too."

She saw him wince. "I . . . I know," he murmured, studying the ground. After a pause, he mumbled, "It's just been . . . an unusual day . . ."

"For me as well," Demeter sighed, almost to herself. "But I'm sure that whatever's going on, it'll sort itself out in its own time." She hoped, however, that she sounded more convincing than she felt; looking back on that day's oddities, she found herself hardly believing her own words.

Munkustrap just nodded, still studying the ground. One last stray rumble of thunder growled outside before he looked back up. Demeter managed a small, gentle smile. She saw his lips begin to curl upward slightly, as if he was trying to smile back. Leaning forward, he kissed her again before taking her paws delicately in his. "Demmy, no matter what happens in three days' time . . . he won't take you. He can't. I'll make sure of that myself."

-x-X-x-

Behind the clouds, the sun set and the sun rose, peeking over a cloudless gray horizon. The pattern repeated twice more until dawn broke on the third day after the storm. Demeter woke in her mate's arms, snuggled up in his warm tabby fur. Gazing up at his face while he slept, she couldn't help but smile; he looked so calm and peaceful this way, as if no cares or worries plagued his mind. And for a brief, fleeting moment, the way his loving, protective warmth wreathed around her made it seem as if that was the way things really were. But a sudden dull pain in her belly quickly brought her back to reality. With a quiet sigh, she eased herself out of Munkustrap's grasp and rose into a sitting position. She still hadn't told him, and he still hadn't told her. From this perspective, it seemed fair, but at the same time, the gold-and-ebony queen wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her secret to herself.

She was still in the process of figuring out how and when to say it when Munkustrap began to stir. The tabby blinked open his eyes, his jaws gaping in a yawn. He glanced up and uttered a quick good morning to Demeter before rolling over and stretching. If he was still suspicious about anything, she thought, at least he was choosing to conceal it.

Once he had finished with his stretching, Munkustrap sat up, heaving a sigh, and shook out his tabby pelt. His fur was ruffled from sleep; some patches lay flat, while others were sticking up in matted clumps. With a jolt, Demeter noticed that he bore a startling resemblance to Macavity himself. Suddenly, the image of her mate faded away to be replaced by a vision of the ginger tom in the golden queen's mind. She drew in a gasp, her eyes widening in fright. The Monster's ears pricked, and he turned his massive, battle-scarred head to face her; she could see the revenge and lurid desire blazing in his eerie yellow eyes like fire, wanting only to kill and destroy and give nothing back . . . He opened his mouth, and Demeter cringed at the thought of what might come out . . .

"Dem, honey, what's wrong?"

Demeter blinked. She shook her head to clear it, and the image of Macavity was gone just as suddenly as it had come, leaving only Munkustrap looking at his mate in concern.

Realizing that she had been staring, the golden queen's ears ducked awkwardly. She blurted out the first excuse that came to her mind. "Nothing – just tired, that's all."

The tabby didn't look convinced. He opened his mouth as if to question her, but obviously decided against it as he closed it again with a small sigh.

Wanting to break the awkward silence, Demeter stretched forward to gently nuzzle him, forcing out a little purr. Seeming almost hesitant, he nuzzled back, though half-heartedly. Worry shrouded the tabby's behavior like a foggy, obstructing aura, and she could tell it wasn't just worry about her. Taking no more than a moment to smooth down his fur, he briskly and absently told her, "I should get ready . . . he never said what time of day he'd come by." Leaving it at that, he rose to his paws and ducked out of the den.

"Be careful," Demeter called after him, concern shining in her eyes. But if Munkustrap had heard, he made no acknowledgement of it.

He had left just in time, however. The very moment the tabby was gone, Demeter was shaken by a sudden – yet familiar – wave of nausea. Clamping a paw firmly over her mouth, she leapt to her paws and shot outside, heading around to the rear of the den with her cheeks bulging . . .

-x-X-x-

Munkustrap heaved a sigh as he stepped outside. The air was crisp and cool; there wasn't a cloud in sight. Not even a breeze rattled the branches on the trees, making everything seem eerily calm and quiet. But the tabby refused to let it fool him. Very little got in the way of Macavity when he was on the warpath.

He exhaled with a small huff, his breath billowing out in a small cloud in the brisk morning air. For a moment, he let his thoughts wander back to Demeter. Her recent behavior had been peculiar at best, but as far as he could tell, whatever she was hiding from him wasn't going to come out anytime soon. However, this hardly satiated his curiosity; the gold-and-ebony queen had never been the type to keep secrets, especially not from him. And there was still something different about her, something that seemed to grow only more noticeable as the days dragged on. But despite the fact that Munkustrap knew that whatever it was should have been blatantly obvious, it still lingered just outside of his range of perception like a mouse that hides under a prickly bush, scarcely out of reach of a cat's claws, but unattainable nonetheless.

Forcing himself out of his thinking, Munkustrap looked around again. Alonzo was anxiously padding around the perimeter of the junkyard, keeping watch. Every now and then a cat's head peeked out to take in the nothingness that was happening before withdrawing again. No kittens dared step out of the nursery; not even the sound of their childish laughter was audible.

Everything was still. Deserted. Lifeless.

The mouse wriggled slightly, easing ever father from the predator's claws. Why was he obsessing over the trivial little facts? He was never going to catch the rodent anyway. But then again, if he just reached a little farther, perhaps he would be able to grasp it, and one of his innumerable problems would finally be at rest.

_No._ He shook his head, shoving the analogy towards the back of his mind. There would be time for this contemplation later. Right now, there were much more important things that demanded his attention: surely a cat would abandon a mouse if a revenge-driven wolf was on its way. Brow furrowing as he concentrated on the happenings in the junkyard, the mouse skittered away and silence swallowed the tabby once more.

-x-X-x-

It may have been hours or only minutes since Munkustrap had left the den. The tension was palpable in the air, and it certainly didn't help Demeter knowing that _she_ was the motive for the fight. She fidgeted uncomfortably as the dead silence boomed in her ears; she wished that whatever was going to happen would happen soon. And when it did, she prayed that herself and _all_ of her family would be safe . . .

As the thought passed her mind, a realization struck her. Chilling, yes, but what if the battle took a turn for the worse? There was no point in denying that this was a serious possibility. There was never any way of knowing just how a battle with _him_ would play out. If – Heaviside forbid – this was the last chance she had to speak to her mate in peace and safety, then he deserved to know. Decidedly, it was far from the most convenient time, but in retrospect, Demeter figured that she had no one to blame for putting it off but herself. It was now or never.

-x-X-x-

Munkustrap's ears snapped up, and he started as the sound of pawsteps came pounding towards him. He fluffed out his silver-and-black fur defensively, preparing to face the worst, but felt a wave of relief as he recognized his mate. But the relief quickly faded into concern. "Demmy? What are you . . ." He trailed off. Once he'd laid eyes on her, it was as if the elusive mouse came pattering back, practically leaping into his outstretched paws. Yes, _that_ was it – Demeter's belly was noticeably larger! He grasped onto the mouse for the briefest of moments, but it only wriggled out of his grip again as the golden queen threw her arms around him, clinging onto him tightly.

"I'm sorry . . ." The words spilled out of her like water cascading over a waterfall; this was clearly something she'd been wanting to say for a while. "Oh, Munky, I'm sorry . . . I-I meant to tell you earlier . . . but I didn't want to trouble you . . . but . . . now I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner . . . you deserve to know and I don't think I can keep it to myself . . ." She was almost in hysterics.

"Shh, shh." He hushed her like a crying kitten, stroking her silky fur to comfort her. He was slightly irritated and more than a little confused as to why she had chosen such an inconvenient time to come to him, but remained calm and reassuring as he softly spoke to her. "It's okay, Demmy, you know you can tell me. What is it?"

Demeter took a couple of deep breaths to steady herself. Then she finally looked up and met his gaze, blue to brown. "Munky . . . I'm pregnant!"


End file.
